Please introduce yourself and your family to the members of the ASTCH.
My name is Nick Hilferink and I am married to Kim Hilferink and we have two sons, Kevin 24 and Dennis 23.
What is your kennel name and why this name?
My kennel name is “Moonrising” and it originated when I bought my first Am Staff book and saw the dog Ch. Rounder’s Bad Moon Rising in it. In 2001 I applied for my kennel name.
What was your first American Staffordshire Terrier and did you have another breed before that?
Our first Am Staff was Chasqui Black Blood (Murphy), a male who lived to be sixteen years old. I have never had another breed besides the Am Staff and I do not think I ever will.
How did you get involved with the Am Staff and where and when was that?
We were looking for a dog and when we were in our town centre we saw a black Am Staff bitch. I approached those people and asked where she came from and that turned out to be the Chasqui kennel of Frans Diaz. This all happened around mid-1997. I went to Frans Diaz with my father and there was “Murphy”; I think he was about six months old. We took him home on trial and from the very beginning it went well and we were immediately sold. In January 1998 I had my first show with “Murphy” in Waalwijk; he was still a puppy. Shortly after getting him, I came into contact with Ilja Hofman.
How many dogs do you currently have in the kennel and is there also a co-owner? As an owner, have you also placed dogs?
I think we have about fifteen dogs, males and females, and most of the dogs I co-own with Monique van Poppel, owner of the Quashee kennel. Most of the dogs have been placed. I personally have three dogs at home and I would like to keep it that way.
Do you always have your own stud dog in the kennel and if so can he also be used by other breeders?
We have several stud dogs in the kennel and they are also available to other breeders.
Are the dogs kept outside in kennels or in the house?
We keep the dogs in the house with the family. I have often thought about building an outside kennel but it has never happened.
How do you see your breeding program as a breeder, in other words where do you want to go?
As a breeder, I think you must put first that you breed healthy dogs with a good character and breed as much as possible according to the breed standard.
Do you also use frozen semen?
So far we have done one breeding with frozen semen and fortunately that was also a success.
Which dog did you start breeding with?
I did my first three litters with a bitch that I imported from America, Full Moon Touched by an Angel (Pebbles). She was a Ruffian bitch.
Do you work together with other breeders at home or abroad?
In the Netherlands I work together with Monique van Poppel, owner of the Quashee kennel. Abroad, with no one, although there are a number of good contacts.
Do you maintain close contacts with Dutch and/or foreign breeders?
In the Netherlands I have good contact with Dutch breeders, but we do not wear out each other’s doorsteps. Still, if something comes up where I can help, I certainly will.
What do you think of the relationships between Dutch breeders? Could that be better?
I think the relationships between breeders could certainly be better, but I also do not think that this will improve. You can see the same thing in other breeds as well.
How many litters have you bred?
The Moonrising Am Staffs kennel has bred fifteen litters so far.
How do you socialize your puppies?
The puppies grow up in a home environment and are always in the living room. I think it is important that they have daily contact with people and other dogs. We try to do this as well as possible until they leave. Puppy buyers may come and see the puppies from about three weeks of age.
At what age do the puppies go to the new owner?
The puppies go to their new owners at eight weeks of age.
Do you sell with a sales contract? Does it ever contain an obligation for a certain puppy to be spayed or neutered?
I would never state in a sales contract that the new owners are obliged to have the dogs sterilized. That is entirely up to them.
Do you give any form of guarantee with the puppies, for example show quality or genetic defects?
Show quality is difficult enough, I think, and to give a guarantee for that does not seem realistic to me. If there is a genetic defect in the puppy, we will deal with that appropriately.
What do you feed the puppies and what do you feed the adult dogs? Do you add supplements?
For more than fifteen years we have given the puppies “Pro Plan Puppy” and the adult dogs “Pro Plan Adult” salmon and rice, and we are very satisfied with that. I have never added supplements.
What do you consider your most memorable success at a dog show and with which dog was that?
Over the years as an exhibitor I have been lucky enough to show many beautiful dogs and to achieve many wonderful results with them. Unforgettable was in 2002 when I showed a dog for Piergiorgio Lievore (Ch. Aurora) and won a junior class with many entries at the WDS in Amsterdam. At that moment that was my biggest victory at a dog show and it was there that I caught the Am Staff/show virus. In 2014, with Staff O’Class Find Me In Paris (Tyler), I went BOB at the EDS in the Czech Republic, which was also a hugely proud and unforgettable moment. I could mention several more memorable show victories.
How many champions have you bred?
To date I have bred four champions.
Do you think that dog shows and/or judges influence the breed?
That certainly has a great deal of influence because I think judges are decisive in ensuring that dogs which are not breed-typical should not be awarded an excellent at shows. Unfortunately, this happens with some regularity, especially with “all-round” judges.
Would you like to become a judge yourself?
No, I do not have that ambition.
Are you also involved in other activities with your dogs besides showing them at exhibitions?
We enjoy doing obedience training with the dogs we keep at home.
Do you always show your dogs yourself?
Yes, I prefer to show them myself, also because I enjoy doing it.
Do you also act as a handler for others and if so for which breeds?
In the past I regularly showed dogs for other breeders. Mainly Am Staffs, but also Shelties, Basenjis and Papillons, with notable success.
Do you see problems in the breed regarding temperament, aggression and/or clearly recurring health problems?
I personally do not experience any problems with the characters of our dogs; they grow up in the house and receive all the attention they need. I think testing for Ataxia, hips and elbows should be mandatory for every breeder of our breed. Unfortunately, you still regularly see that this is not done, especially abroad. So far we have had no health problems with our dogs.
In what order do you find the following most important, or do you find some of them unimportant: type, temperament, soundness, balance, colour, show quality?
Temperament, Type and Soundness, Balance, Show quality. Temperament comes first! Colour is the least important.
How do you see the future of the breed?
I think all of us together have a challenge to continue raising our beautiful breed properly and passing on knowledge to new breeders. Personally, I am positive, especially because of the commitment of the ASTCH board.
Do you have a preference for a certain colour, and for a male or female?
Red or brown/black brindle is my preference. Personally I am not much in favour of blue.
What do you think is the most beautiful Am Staff you have seen in real life in the Netherlands and which one abroad?
In our country I choose Ch. Chasqui Red Raging Bull (Buddy). I have always found him to be a particularly beautiful American Staffordshire Terrier. As far as I am concerned, Ch. Sunbolt Miss America (Chicita) is the most beautiful Am Staff I have seen.
Do you have any tips for beginning breeders?
Pay close attention to other breeders who have already achieved something and read many books about Am Staffs. Try to recognize the faults in your dog, possibly with the help of an experienced breeder and by reading a lot. Personally, I owe a lot to Ilja Hofman, who in the beginning pointed out many good points and faults in Am Staffs to me and could explain them well, also when presenting dogs at shows. The owner of Paco Kennels, Paco Zanoia, also has tremendous knowledge. Just by listening to what he has to say you learn a great deal. Personally I do not like mixing all kinds of bloodlines together. Together with Monique we try, where possible, to linebreed as well as we can.
Would you like to see anything changed in the breed standard?
The breed standard is a kind of bible that should not be changed and I actually think there are breeders who should read the breed standard again.
Are you actively involved in the breed club?
No.
Do you have any tips or comments for the breed club, Raad van Beheer and/or politics?
It is difficult for any board to do right by everyone and that never really succeeds; there will always be people who are dissatisfied for whatever reason. I wish the current board every success and I am sure they will do well.
Is there anything I did not ask that you would like to mention?
I wish everyone as much pleasure with their dogs as we have had for years with this fantastic breed. The Am Staff longs for the attention of its owner and asks for no better place than by his side in the family.
Thank you Wil, it was an honour for me to be interviewed by you.
On behalf of me and our readers, many thanks for this interview Nick.